ESWATINI INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Cabrini St Phillips’ Missionary, Eswatini

Cabrini Outreach supports Cabrini Ministries Eswatini (CME) – a Catholic faith-based and community based notfor-profit organisation operating from St Philip’s Mission in the Lubombo lowveld region of Eswatini – the delivery of ’Enabling Quality of Health Care and Creating a Better Future.’

Aiming to improve quality of life for the vulnerable populations of the remote rural communities of the four Tinkundlas (constituencies) of Siphofaneni, Sithobela ‒ part of Lubuli and Nkilongo Tinkundlas. These targeted Tinkundlas of the South Lowveld of the country carry a burden of diseases that is compounded by the prominent level of poverty and food insecurity.

Cabrini Ministries delivered much needed services, through the clinic and community services, through promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative health reaching clients with various ailments and disabilities especially women and children. Nine Cabrini staff were trained in speech and sign language.

10,362 SERVICE VISITS, PROVIDING VULNERABLE CLIENTS ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTH SERVICES

1386 WOMEN ACCESSED REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION AND CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING

42 CHILDREN ACCESSED SERVICES

8 CLIENTS WHO ARE DEAF ACCESSED SIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION FOR THE FIRST TIME

2368 CLIENTS ENROLLED IN THE ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUG REGIMEN, WITH A RETENTION RATE OF 99%

716 CLIENTS REACHED THROUGH COMMUNITY OUTREACH SERVICES

204 CLIENTS, REQUIRING SPECIALISED INTERVENTIONS, REFERRED TO HOSPITALS FOR ONGOING CARE

Major accomplishments

Major challenges in Eswatini were the continued lockdowns due to COVID-19 restrictions. Community outreach services were significantly impacted with staff becoming unwell, reducing the capacity to respond. There were significant increases in the cost of medical supplies, along with significant increases in caseloads as more clients accessed services.

To compound the effects of COVID-19, the country also saw a period of civil unrest, affecting access to services as roads were blocked and schools closed. The organisation also recorded the highest number of gender-based violence, including a high pregnancy rate that has never been recorded before. Fortynine clients accessed social services and referrals were made to mitigate the negative effects of physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV prevention and treatment

TB and HIV continue to pose a serious challenge, with many young people, especially adolescent girls and young women, being vulnerable to new HIV infections, due to sexual violence. The organisation responds with effective community education and testing services, treatment and care, guided by the national guidelines for the management of HIV and TB.

HIV services reached the 95-95-95 UNAIDS goal. This year, 10,362 clients who visited the facility (and outreach) were screened for HIV, TB, and COVID-19 along with being provided counselling services.

Prenatal/antenatal care, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, childhood immunisations

The organisation has successfully maintained the HIV transmission rate between mother and child of 0% for more than a year. Screening is provided for HIV, Bilharzia/Malaria, hypertension, and diabetes, to name a few, that may result in complications of birth resulting in mortalities and morbidities of the mother or/and the child.

All exposed infants are vigorously followed up at birth and at nine months and thereafter at 18 months. HIV negative mothers are encouraged to take prophylaxis against HIV, as most women have no knowledge of the spousal HIV status.

Cervical cancer screening, treatment and prevention

In 2021-22, 2612 women were offered cervical cancer education. As a result, 225 women between the ages of 15-49 years were screened for cervical cancer and further tested for HPV, with two clients being diagnosed with HPV. Nine clients were succesfully treated for cervical cancer and four clients are undergoing treatment procedures.

Cabrini Ministries is working collaboratively with the University of Milan, Italy, to determine the efficacy of dry urine as a methodology to screen for cervical cancer.